Machine for compressing lenses or the like



Feb. 17, 1942. w UMLANDT I 2,273,500

MACHINE FOR COMPRESSING LENSES OR THE LIKE Filed Sept 18, 19:59

Patentecl Feb. 17, 1942 ELIKE William Henry Umlandt, Muscatine, Iowa, assignor to Automatic Button Company, Muscatine, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Applicationseptember l8, 1939,1Serial No. $295,512

2 Claims.

This invention is a novel machine for heating and compressing blanks or the like of thermoplastic or other yielding material, said machine being particularly designed for compressing lens blanks of thermoplastic resinous materials such as disclosed in' the application of Bernard Hahn, Serial No. 286,265, filed July 24, 1939, which blanks are normally of larger size than the holes or openings in the sign face in which they are to be mounted, and therefore the blanks must be heated and reduced in diameter in order that same may be inserted in the openings .or' holes in the sign faces, so that when subsequently expanded or enlarged the blanks will securely lock themselves in position therein. However, my novel machine may be used for any other purposes ior which it is adapted. I

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one practical embodiment thereof, in order to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims, the

novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the blank holding die.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the die retracted and expanded to receive a blank.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the die projected and compressing a blank held in the die.

Fig. 5 is a view of the compressed blank shaped by the die of the machine, and showing in dot and dash lines the original shape of the blank.

As shown, the machine comprises a base I, preferably a plate supported by legs Ia at a convenient distance above the floor level. Upon the plate I is a U-shaped member 2 having its base 2a secured by bolts 3 or the like to the plate, the outer ends of the legs of member 2 being provided with seats 2b receiving a tubular sleeve 4 fixedly secured in seats 21) preferably by pins or set screws 20 transfixing the seats 21) and the wall of the sleeve, said sleeve 4 having a flange 4a at one end fitting against the end face of the adjacent seat 2b in member 2.

The bore of sleeve 4, adjacent flange 4a, is conically contracted as at 4b to form a cam surface for engaging the tapered portion 5a of a split die 5 which is loosely mounted in sleeve 4 and projects. therethrough, as shown in Fig. 2. Die 5 is preferably tubular and the forward end 572 forms the blank holding end of the die, said end having a plurality of longitudinal splits 50 therein (eight being shown) forming jaws to permit expansion and contraction of the die. The front end 5b of die 5 is reduced in diameter so as to project through the reduced bore 40 in the head 4a of the sleeve 4, and the tapered portion 5a is adapted to engage the conically contracted portion 4?) of sleeve 4, so that as the die 5 is moved axially of the sleeve 4 in the forward direction the engagement of the tapered parts 5a and 41) will contract the end 5b of the chuck while movement of the die in the opposite direction will permit the end 5b of the die to expand.

In order to move die 5 axially of sleeve 4 the rear end of the die 5 is provided with an annular groove 50, in which is secured a collar 6 which is pivotally connected by parallel links 1 to an arm 8, mounted on a rock shaft 9, journaled in an extension 2d of the U-shaped member 2, said shaft 9 being operated by a hand-lever l0, so that as lever I0 is swung the die 5 will be correspondingly reciprocated within sleeve 4, the swinging movement of lever 10 in a clockwise direction causing the die 5 to contract around and firmly compress a blank B held therein; and when the compression operation is finished and handle I0 is raised, the die 5 will be given a rearward movement in the sleeve 4 allowing the jaws to expand and release the blank B.

The blanks B are usually made of thermoplastic resinous materials, and may consist of short lengths of rods of such material having a diameter such that when the jaws of the die 5 are expanded (as in Fig. 3) the blank or a portion thereof may be inserted therein. Normally the blanks B would have a shape as shown by the dot and dash lines in Fig. 5, the diameter being slightly less than the internal diameter of the die when the jaws 5b are expanded as in Fig. 3. It is necessary however to first heat the blank before the compression step, and for this purpose an electric or other heater 1 I is provided supported by a bracket l2 extending from the end of base I adjacent the die jaws 5b, said bracket l2 having a guard [3 extending around and above the heater ll whereby a pan l4 of hotwater or the like may be conveniently positioned adjacent the die. As shown, the pan I4 is provided with a cover l5 having a sectorshaped opening I5a therein adjacent its periphery of convenient size to permit insertion and withdrawal of blanks B from the pan, said cover l5 having a tubular extension l5b extending upwardly from its center adapted to receive a rod I60, disposed axially of a floating dish-shaped plate I6 rotatably mounted within the pan I4 and adapted to hold a plurality of blanks B to be heated prior to the compression step, plate I6 floating upon the surface of the water in pan I4, and thus serving to efiectively heat the blanks regardless of the amount of water in the pan. As plate I6 is rotatable within pan I4, any portion thereof may be conveniently brought into register with opening I5a in cover I5.

In operation, the handle I is moved counterclockwise to initially open the jaws of die and while the jaws are open a heated blank B from pan I6 of the heater and and having a shape shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 5 is partially placed in the open jaws. Handle I0 is then moved in a clockwise direction to shift the die 5 and move same forwardly to close the jaws as the tapered portion 50 of the die engages the tapered portion 41) of sleeve 4, the closing jaws compressing the blank B into the shape shown in full lines in Fig. 5; and thus that portion of blank B which is held by the jaws 519 will be reduced to a diameter that will fit within the opening in the sign face, and after insertion in the sign face the blank may again be expanded to lock itself in position in the sign face.

I do not limit my invention to the exact form shown in the drawing for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim: 7

1. In combination, a liquid heater comprising a casing; a cover for said casing having an opening adjacent its periphery; a dish-shaped pan freely mounted in said casing to enable said pan to rotate and float upon the surface of a liquid placed in said casing; and means for heating said liquid.

2. In combination, a heater comprising a receptacle containing liquid; a cover for said receptacle having an opening adjacent its periphery and a bearing at its center; a dish-shaped pan rotatably mounted in said receptacle and floating upon the surface of the liquid therein; an axially disposed pin on said pan slidably engaging said bearing; and means for heating said liquid.

WILLIAM HENRY UMLAND'I. 

